Map companies form location alliance

HERE Technologies is teaming up with mapping partners in China, Japan and Korea to create a unified worldwide mapping system that they say will guide self- driving cars safely and efficiently.

The four companies, HERE, NavInfo of China, Increment P (IPC)/Pioneer of Japan and SK Telecom of Korea have formed the OneMap Alliance to offer a global, standardised and dynamic high definition (HD) map from 2020 using the specification developed for HERE HD Live Map.

Together, the companies say they plan to offer a consistent HD map across regions at a time when several automakers will be bringing to market vehicles with high levels of automation. They add that the OneMap Alliance is open to new, strategic partners who are shaping the future of automated driving, mobility and smart cities.

“Automakers building automated cars are thinking globally and want a HD map that can scale with them,” said Ralf Herrtwich, SVP Services at HERE Technologies. “By sourcing from the OneMap Alliance partners, automakers get to leverage a map that is fully harmonised across regions, offering the same high quality for their vehicles in the U.S. as it does in Europe and Asia. This simplified way of sourcing the map will also help reduce automakers’ development time and unnecessary costs.”